The Portland daily press., 1887-02-11
TUBERCULOSIS.
Cattle Commissioner Sell States His
Views,
And contradicts Some Assertions
Made by Secretary Gilbert.

Mr.. Samuel Bell OF Deeripg, one of the
State Cattle Commissioners, has returned
home from Augusta, and yesterday made
statement of his position in regard to the re-
port and action of the Board on the existence
of tuberculosis among the State College herd
at Orono and the cattle sold from that herd.
Mr. Bells attention was called to statements
made by Mr.. H. A. Gilbert, the Secretary of
the Board. Mr. Bell said that he regarded it
as the duty Of the Cattle Commissioners and
the State to use every means to destroy the
animals sold from the State College herd and
their progeny. Mr. Gilbert stated II hold
that the law gave the Cattle Commissioners
no power to take up the Kent bull after he
had been pronounced sound and gave us no
power to interfere with the other bulls with
out a call from the municipal authorities.
Last October the commissioners met in Port
land. Then Messrs Ferguson and Bell, of
the commission, told me that they agreed
with me in my Interpretation of the law"
Mr.. Gilbert further stated that he did not
think measures should now be taken for the
inspection of the bulls sold from the State
College herd and their ,progeny, and said
81 am fully convinced that there is no more
danger from those bulls than there would be
from those bred in other herds.'
Mr.. Bell said in substance: ~ neither
agree nor disagree with Mr.. Gilbert in re-
gard to the law, but believed that we should
have gone ahead and tried to find way to
ss-----hilxea-----L
think that measures should now be taken
for the inspection of those bulls and their
progeny l regard tuberculosis as seriously
contagious, and agree with DIR. Bailey in the
action taken by him. Some action should be
taken now in regard to these bulls. The
necessity for it is as great today as it ever
was. The disease is one which progresses
as the subjects of it grow older / think that
there are ten bulls sold from the State Col
lege herd now living. If these animals are
not destroyed, they will spread the disease
broadcast through the State. In making this
statement, speak from knowledge gained
of the disease by talks with veterinary sur
geons, and my own reading upon the subject.
as we'll as the little personal knowledge
have gained through my position on the COM
mission.
"Of the bulls sold from the herd only three
or four are old enough for service, l think
they and their progeny could be found and
destroyed. The heifers and COWS have been
as rule, retained in the herd, only the bulls
being sold. If there are any COWS from
the herd now in existence, am of the opin-
ion that they could be traced, having been
sold In the vicinity of the college Provision
should be made to trace and destroy all ami
mails sold from the herd, together with their
progeny. This might be done at a compare
lively light cost to the State, for when the
owners of such creatures are made aware of
their condition, they will not hold them at a
great price. / think that were such steps
taken, the danger from this source would be
stamped out
Mr. Gilbert in justification of his position,
says this disease is all over the State. Aside
from the tuberculosis among the State Col
lege herd. DR.. Bailey has known of but one
outbreak of the disease in the State. That
was the cases among Mr.. Scribners cattle at
North WATERFORD, in which the Board took
necessary action. After the hearing last
week before the Legislative committee, Mr..
Gilbert said that he knew of three
cases of tuberculosis in the State. He
said that he was satisfied Of the existence of
these cases. DR.. Bailey asked him if he
thought as a cattle commissioner he should
do nothing, to which Mr. Gilbert replied that
the commissioners had no power Dr.
Bailey then said that he thought in such
case the commissioners should take some
action.
Mr.. Gilbert's position is that we have no
power to do anything without notice from
the town authorities where the disease may
exist or the parties owning the sick cattle
He would leave the matter right there.
"A man may not know the nature of a
disease which attacks his cattle. At the
State College animals ssickened and died and
the officials there did not know what was the
trouble. This fact, that tuberculosis may
exist without the knowledge of the owners
OF the cattle, furnishes strong reason why
action should be taken by the commission
ers. In regard to the State College herd and
the animals sold from it, we knew
and Mr.. Gilbert knew what the sickness
WAS"